Chapter 9 - Flight

Darkness blanketed the desert. The mountains replaced with rolling sand dunes that mimicked the black waves at sea. Each dune larger than the last the deeper they pressed into its centre. Broad and powerful wings beat at a half-measure, the gryphon flying low and using the remains of the rising heat to glide as much as possible. He banked slightly, skimming the peaks and ready to drop to a run if necessary. Beating his wings suddenly, he pushed for more altitude, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Kitaraiya as she held Rhyker in place, keeping him from falling. Hendosphyre felt the reassuring thought, his master approving.

“Not too high, Sphyre!” Kitaraiya growled, her voice muffled through the heavily folded layers of cloth covering most of her face, “I can’t…”

Hendosphyre levelled out and set himself into a glide, tilting his head to the side and glaring at Kitaraiya and her swaddled head momentarily. He looked to Rhyker, slumped and his hands firmly entwined in his feathers.

“She can’t, Sphyre. No higher. Get us back, and if…” Rhyker grew silent for a moment as he drew a shaking breath, “Gods...” he gasped through chattering teeth.

The gryphon adjusted his flight slightly as Rhyker slumped further forward onto his neck, “...Steady as you can.”

Hendosphyre let out a low squawk and looked back to the dunes ahead, his eyes picking out occasional movement below. The nocturnal predators that prowled the sands, hunting the easy prey of the misshapen beasts that emerged after dusk in the cool of night. He glared down in disgust, giving a swift beat of his wings to maintain speed and to put distance between the mutated forms that were only a shadow of their once majestic grace. As the dunes passed beneath them he looked ahead, picking out taller sand mountains to alight on if necessary.

The stars moved overhead, shifting with the passage of night as they continued their low-level glide. Kitaraiya glanced up, vertigo immediately assailing her as she let her eyes rake the stars. Shaking her head, she leaned over her brother’s back and gripped his shoulder, giving him a little shake.

“Rhy? I think we are nearing half-way.” she said close by his ear.

Under her wraps she frowned at his lack of response, “Rhy?” she called out louder, shaking him harder before holding him in place roughly as he started to slide.

“Sphyre, land, we need to land.” she yelled over the wind, “I need to check on Rhy.”

Hendosphyre glanced back before looking ahead and letting out a muted shriek. She nodded and leaned over Rhyker, wrapping her arms around him while pinning her knees in a little harder, securing herself. Glancing past the gryphon’s head, her eyes widened as she noticed how fast they were nearing the dunes. Gripping harder still, she felt Hendosphyre fanning his wings and angling his body on approach. With a lurch and rapid run the gryphon slowed their forward momentum before finally coming to a halt and turning, sand sliding away from them and down the slopes. Twisting around, the gryphon angled himself into the bank, allowing Kitaraiya an easy dismount.

“Rhy?” she said in a harsh whisper, pulling the cloth from her face and releasing the straps of the pack, dropping it to the sands.

A low call came from Hendosphyre.

“You can feel him?” she asked of the gryphon, watching her brother’s face and trying to rouse him, “Rhy?”

Hendosphyre clicked his beak once in confirmation, catching her look and shifted slightly, allowing her to slide Rhyker off and rolling him onto the sand. Crouching over him, she quickly opened one of his eyes, holding the lid back and checking. A faint glimmer of blue flames glowed deep within them, making her breathe out in relief. She looked up to meet Hendosphyre’s eye in the darkness before staring out at the sea of sand.

After a long moment of thought, she spoke quietly, “Sphyre, can you get to Escorath and back before sunrise?”

The gryphon brought his head close, looking at her curiously.

She glanced up at him, “Can you get there and back without carrying us?”

Her question was immediately met with a number of short clicks.

“I don’t like it either. But we can’t fly with him like this, I can barely keep myself on your back, much less keep him from falling.” she said quietly, grabbing a handful of sand and making a fist in frustration.

“I know it’s not safe. But if he falls, I will be thrown off your back when you have to save him. Even at the slower glide you were doing, it’s still too fast.” she said, meeting the gryphon’s eye, “I know it’s not your fault, so don’t give me that look.”

“I can keep him safe here until you return. As long as we stay quiet we won’t attract those sand beasts and if they find us...” she gave a jagged smile, full of teeth, “You know what I can do, Sphyre.”

She listened to Hendosphyre’s clicks and low shrieks and a smirk twisted her face, “I won’t eat him.” she said, pushing his large head to the side, “Go, we have enough with us to handle the daytime too, the tent, my thread. Go, find Father.”

Hendosphyre glared at her, taking a step away.

“I know, I know, you are watching me.” Kitaraiya said quietly, “When you are close, start shrieking, I will give you a signal. Now go.”

Hendosphyre gave her one more look before walking to the edge of the dune and dropping off its steep slope. Kitaraiya watched from over her shoulder, hearing the ruffle and snap of his wings as he caught the air, followed by the shrill slice of his feathers as he suddenly gave the wind his strength. In less than a moment the great one was out of sight, flying hard and fast.

Kitaraiya sighed and crawled over to Rhyker. Her eyes catching on his face, his features pale and drawn, even by starlight. She pulled his cloak around him before removing her own and covering him with it, tucking its edges in against the sand. Leaning in, she looked at his face, her wet nose almost touching his cheek.

“Damn it, Rhy.” she whispered, “Well, we are out here under the stars until Sphyre gets back with…” she thought for a moment, “Probably Silvast. She is going to rain hell down on us.” she chuckled, her blue eyes glinting darkly in the faint light over the dunes.

She gently touched his cheek with the back of a clawed finger, “Rhy, why do you keep doing this?” she said softly, “You could have just left me there and both our problems would be solved.”

Kitaraiya sat beside him and crossed her legs, watching the steam from his breath, “I was already at peace with my end. You could have been rid of me, been free to be yourself.” she chuckled darkly, “To go to her, no longer having to take care of me… Gods, this world’s Sialin.” she glanced at him, “You should have told me, Rhy.”

She looked out over the sea, a faint chill breeze tousling the fur on her arms. The faintest glimmer of pale light shone over the crests of the dunes, the first sliver of the moon barely visible as it hung low over the mountains they had escaped from. Quiet hung in the air, the only sound being Rhyker’s shallow breathing and the gentle stirring and caress of the breeze against the sands. Her sky blue eyes watched the pale heavenly body as it rose, its movement painstakingly slow as the night slipped from its zenith and trickled toward day.

“Rhy.” she said under her breath, “I can feel them slipping away from me. Memories of before… Before we came here, when we were children.” she looked up, the stars twinkling in the black like precious jewels that were too far to reach.

“I think it is better that those memories are fading, if what you said is true. You mentioned that Selera resides in this world too.” she said softly.

“Maybe I could apologise to her and it would free me from the past.” she leaned back and looked up, “I should apologise to Lia, she is the closest I will get to seeing Sialin again. Gods, Rhy… I almost killed her, I summoned my thread and – and just a few moments more.”

Kitaraiya shook her head, “Just a few moments. If she wouldn’t have stopped me… I would have gone on a rampage. I was just so angry, all I could see was myself.” she chuckled sadly, glancing at Rhyker, “I just felt like you were drifting away from me. But now I know, I am sure of it that it was not the case. If anything I was pushing you away with my actions.”

“And I am scared, suddenly seeing your memories as if they were my own. I must make peace with myself, that child in the past before I sleep next. I fear seeing my mistakes through your eyes, hearing your thoughts. Me raging at you while you protected me and made sure I was safe.” she said softly in the silence, looking up again, the stars reflecting in her eyes.

“I thought I had put all of this to rest, but now with your blood…It is confronting.” she sighed.

“I am sorry, Ven.” she chuckled disparagingly, “I had to lose everything, except you. It took the sharp words of Xiana to open my eyes, a complete stranger to make me realise.”

Kitaraiya frowned slightly, feeling soft movement against her hand. The sensation of rugged fingers hooking over her own. She looked down to see her hand in his as he gave her a gentle squeeze. Eyes wide, she leaned over, her face close to his as she watched his eyes open to slits.

“Shut up, Tiff.” he whispered.

Kitaraiya slowly moved in the night, carefully shifting her limbs as not to wake him. Despite the added cloak he was still shaking and she had stretched herself out against him to share her heat. Lifting her head slightly she watched the movement of his chest, the slow rise and fall. Looking up at the stars she picked out the hint of the moon as it hung almost directly above them. It did not seem like hours had passed, only moments alone.

She glanced at him and frowned, “Are you awake?” she whispered.

His eyelids flickered slightly but he did not answer.

“Its so quiet, Rhy.” she said, “So still.”

She slowly extracted herself and sat up. A frown creased her brow as she looked at the horizon, the faint lightening in the sky where it met the mountains. Turning, she looked in the direction Hendosphyre had taken hours before, narrowing her eyes as she strained her vision. Quickly drawing on her thread she drew on the moisture in the air and compressed it, creating a field, magnifying the surrounds. She shook her head slowly, allowing the moisture to form into ice in her hand before she lapped at it, drinking it as it melted.

She frowned again, “Its not so quiet, its damn-well too quiet.”

Her eyes darted as she tested the air with her nose. It was faint over the smell of dried blood, but it was there. Pricking her ears, she listened with eyes closed and let her heightened senses take in the surrounds. She bared her teeth and smiled as the slight movement of air turned.

“And just when I thought we weren’t going to be attacked out here.” Kitaraiya remarked.

She quickly moved to Rhyker’s side and crouched, resting a hand on his chest while she glanced about, “I know you are awake and resting. I think they can smell the blood on us and think we are an easy target.”

“Do you have enough in you; have you rested enough to be dangerous?” Kitaraiya asked, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinised the base of the dune.

“I am always dangerous.” he said with a rough voice, opening his eyes and looking at her.

She gave a quick nod, her eyes still scanning the dunes. Twisting on the spot, she caught movement. A subtle shift in the sand further down the dune. She tapped a finger on his chest.

“One?”

“No, the scent alone tells me there are more, they are moving under the sand. I would guess a few will make their way up and the others will charge at us the moment we are engaged.” she whispered, tapping his chest another two times, “That black shroud, is it hard to manipulate? Yesterday it filled the cave, but it allowed me to pass through.”

Rhyker gave a ghost of a smile, “It is not a power, it is a part of me. It is drawn to me the moment I call for it and even when I don’t.”

She gave a quick nod and met his eyes, “Do not extend yourself, just what you can safely.” she said, leaning over him and drawing his longsword from where it was strapped into their pack, “I will use my thread alone. I am still untested with whatever changed me.”

Kitaraiya tapped her finger six times as she looked into his eyes before offered her hand. Feeling his close around hers she stood, pulling him into a seated position.

“Gods…” he murmured with a grimace, hanging his head between his knees, “Give me a moment.” he choked, fighting vertigo.

Kitaraiya smiled savagely, an ear turning and picking out the faint rustle of sand shifting. Standing straight, sword hanging in her loose grip, she closed her eyes and breathed out, holding it. Slowly breathing in, she opened her eyes, the sharp white glare streaming from them as she embraced her thread. The already chill night air immediately plummeting and condensation forming around them, wetting the top layer of sand. Mist started to fill the air rapidly, swirling around them and spilling down the slope of the dune.

Raising a hand, Kitaraiya gave a small gesture and crouched, spreading her fingers over the sand. Ice rapidly started to form, binding the sand in its chill and spreading, creating a frozen layer that worked its way down. She stood, her jagged smile punctuated with her rows of teeth and fangs as she watched the surface, waiting.

Black inky tendrils started to form, creeping over the tall edge of the dune behind them, darker than the shadow of night. Scurrying and meeting, congregating until it formed around its master before flooding out over the slope, blanketing the frozen expanse in a thick layer that reached Kitaraiya’s knees. She turned her eyes to meet Rhyker’s, his eyes now the embers of the hellforge, its glow likened to the spark before the fire. The shroud surrounding and cloaking him as he sat with arms resting on his knees. She momentarily saw the faint outline and details of flaming dragon wings in the black, shifting behind him before tucking at his back.

A satisfied smile came to her lips as the first sharp crack split the silence. The crackling of ice as the perplexed beast was caught unaware in the pitch black with sharp shards of frozen sand underfoot. Kitaraiya’s eyes flashed, her ears picking out the position. With a snarl, thin fingers of ice rapidly formed in the air beside her and with a quick glance and flick of her wrist they shot down the slope within the black shroud, aimed with deadly precision on the sound of breaking ice. A shrill squeal rent the silence and Kitaraiya immediately sent another volley of frozen projectiles, silencing the beast before it could even stand above the roiling sea of darkness.

A deep expectant silence descended over the frozen field of battle. Solitary whimpers and weakened scrabbling punctuated the quiet. Kitaraiya snapped her fingers and a sharp whip-like crack rang out. A thin spear of ice and sand erupted from the dark, impaling the misshapen creature, letting it hang half obscured as a grisly warning. Her eyes sharply glared, roving the top of the inky mists as she waited.